Cinco: Halloween
by corneroffandom
Summary: Despite their complicated schedules, the group figures out a way to celebrate Halloween together.


"Hey, bros, welcome, welcome," Zack greets Ricardo and Alberto eagerly, holding the door for them as they drag their luggage inside. "Sorry about how quickly this was planned out, we really just wanted to spend Halloween together like always. This was the best compromise we could think of." With Zack, Dolph, Drake, and Heath flying out for Crown Jewel before Halloween, there's no way for them to spend the evening together like they usually do, so instead they'd decided to go to Orlando's Halloween celebration, see some costumes, maybe experience a Haunted House together.

"Gracias," Ricardo says, shifting his bag from one hand to the other, eager to put it down. He's tired, getting from California to Florida on relatively short notice hadn't been easy, especially considering the conditions there. "When are we leaving then?"

"You have a few hours," Zack says, motioning to them to go on ahead. "You can rest, if you want. C'mon, I'll show you your room." Zack and Dolph's house is pretty sizeable and Ricardo yawns as he trails after him obligingly, Alberto close behind him. "Here ya go," he says cheerfully, pushing a door open to a nice sized room with a decent sized bed, Ricardo's eyes easing right to it. "See you in a while, bros," Zack chuckles as they both walk automatically towards it.

Alberto kicks his shoes off, listening to Ricardo do the same on the other side of the room, and before long, they're laying side by side under the soft sheets, Ricardo tucked close to him. "Thanks for coming with me," he says softly, kissing Alberto's neck.

"Any time, mi valiente," Alberto murmurs sleepily, pretty much the first words he'd spoken since they arrived here. He wraps his arm around Ricardo and hums, already half-gone.

Ricardo smiles and sighs, immediately drifting to sleep as well.

There's a soft tapping somewhere in the room, and the light has faded considerably. Ricardo sits up with a vague groan, rubbing at his eyes as he tries to figure out what's going on. Then it comes back to him in a rush- they're at Zack's, and everyone will be leaving for Orlando's Halloween celebrations soon. "El Patron," he whispers, lightly shaking the man. "Wake up, we have to get ready to go."

Almost instantaneous, the door opens slightly and Zack peeks his head in. "Hey, bros, we're leaving soon, you awake?" He smiles when he sees Ricardo up. "I could get you a bucket of ice for him if you need." He winks. "Dolph's a notorious heavy sleeper too sometimes."

Ricardo chuckles. "No, gracias, I can wake him. Thank you, though."

"Already, see you in a bit, bros," he says before ducking back out into the hall.

Ricardo leans in, stroking Alberto's cheek with gentle fingers, before kissing him. He feels Alberto shift under him, slowly reacting to his affections, and Ricardo hums, sighing into his mouth as he curls an arm around him and starts to kiss back. Before things can get _too_ dizzying and intense, Ricardo eases back and smiles down at him. "Lo siento, but we have to start getting ready to go. Halloween, remember?"

The disappointment on Alberto's face is _almost_ comical, if Ricardo wasn't almost as reluctant to leave this bed as well. "Si, si, I do," he says, voice thick with sleep and due to that wake up call.

They dress quickly, helping each other touch up their costumes as needed, getting ready as quickly as possible. "How do I look?" Ricardo wonders, turning to look at Alberto.

Alberto looks up and his face softens into a faint smile. "Incredible, mi valiente. As always." He quickly gets his shoes on and walks over, taking a closer look at Ricardo's costume, before leaning in to kiss him, lips twitching as his hands ease under the stained lab coat. "Being a mad scientist suits you." He's careful not to touch Ricardo's wild hair, not wanting to undo anything Ricardo's done to get it to look like this.

"Gracias," Ricardo says with a grin, eyes bright. "You look amazing as well."

"Ah, this old thing?" Alberto laughs, glancing down at the dark robe covering his body and heavy wrestling boots that's comprising his boxer costume. "Gracias. I had some help in figuring it out." Ricardo grins up at him and Alberto hums, wishing they could stay but finally forcing himself to move, resting a hand on Ricardo's back and guiding him out into the hall.

It's not difficult to find the others, lingering around Zack's deck, waiting. Talking loudly, some of them arguing. Ricardo's pretty sure he hears Robert going on about free stuff, as always, Zack listening on, bored, before he spots them. "Bros! You're awake! Sick!" He bounds over to them and Alberto cringes.

"What is that?" he demands and Zack stops short, looking down at himself.

"Eh. I let Dolph pick the costumes this year," he sighs, shifting about awkwardly in tight leather pants. "I guess he really wanted to try the Van Halen look this year or something."

"And you look hot as hell, kid," Dolph says, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, Ricardo's eyes widening as he gets a good look at how _large_ Dolph's gone with his hair, teased out and fluffed all over the place. "All the chicks at this thing are gonna be thanking me as soon as they see you... well, once they're done taking me in, anyway."

Alberto barely glances at his dark leather pants and jacket with random emblems all over it. "How is that any different from what you typically wear, Ziggler?" he asks drily and Ricardo coughs, fighting a laugh.

Before they can get into one of their infamous arguments, Zack distracts Dolph and Ricardo rests a hand on his arm and says, "Let's go say hi to everyone else."

"Fine," Alberto mumbles, following him slowly as he makes the rounds.

Zema- Ricardo not sure he'll ever get used to trying to call him _Joaquin-_ is dressed like a pirate, the eyepatch working for him, considering, and he looks up with a grin when he sees Ricardo. "Hey! You guys made it."

"Yes, we did," Ricardo says, leaning in to hug him. "How's the eye?"

"Doing good," Zema shrugs. "You know, one of those fluke things." He's had a lot of _fluke_ things the last few years and Ricardo nods sympathetically, knowing the feeling.

"I'm glad surgery went well. Eye injuries always make me cringe," he says, unsure what exactly to say in such a situation.

Zema's lips quirk up. "Hey, me too, bro," he laughs, turning slightly as Robert joins them, dressed to match Zema, as a pirate ship's first mate. "Don't tell anyone, but none of this was free," he hisses to Ricardo, who chuckles.

"Hey, don't spread lies and innuendo, Z," Robert says, looking affronted as Zema laughs at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it, bro," he says, leaning in as Robert shakes his head. His touch is gentle as he strokes under Zema's eyes and huffs, kissing him.

Ricardo and Alberto take their leave after a moment. "Hey, do you know where mi amigo Heath is?" Ricardo asks a green haired clown, ignoring the strands of bright orange hair sneaking out here and there.

The clown looks stumped for a moment before realization dawns and he leans in, "Ricardo, it's me!" he hisses, southern accent giving up the game as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Ay! Shit, I never would've guessed," Ricardo says, ignoring how audibly Alberto is rolling his eyes behind him. "That's an impressive costume, Heath." He takes in all of the details of the outfit, before grinning over at Wade, who is seemingly ignoring everything, leaning against a table and drinking something clear and strong smelling. The direct opposite of Heath, he's simply wearing a black tux and black bowtie, pointedly not reacting to his stare. "Who are you supposed to be then? Me?" Ricardo can't resist asking and Alberto squeezes his side for it, keeping a straight face becoming more and more difficult as he waits for Wade to respond.

Wade glances over, eyebrow lifted for a brief moment before Heath nudges him and he exhales, shaking his head. "Bond. James Bond," he finally says stoically and Ricardo smirks.

"Of course," he mumbles. They turn to look for the others they have yet to say hello to and Ricardo walks almost right into Ethan, or rather into his chest. Alberto steadies him and they both blink incredulously at the man standing before them, nonplussed. "Let me guess," Ricardo finally finds his voice after taking in the brightly colored costume that could _almost_ pass as wrestling gear. "Aquaman?"

"Right in one," Ethan smirks, twirling a trident around.

Drake appears behind him and Ricardo fights not to laugh when he realizes he's dressed like a sailor, Alberto not as successful at it as he is. The man glances suspiciously at them before turning to Ethan. "Sir, I told you you should wear the top part of the costume, there will be _families_ there, and it's _chilly_ at night-"

"Tiger, we're always around families in gear much more revealing than this," he says, tugging slightly at the green pants. "It'll be _fine._ Besides, why would I wear fake abs when I have these?"

Drake hesitates and eyes his well-defined stomach for a few moments before forcing his gaze back to Ethan's smug face. "Yes, well," he flounders for something to say. All attempts of thinking fail when Ethan tugs him closer and kisses him, Drake's fight quickly leaving him as he tangles his fingers in Ethan's hair and presses into him. "Sir," he huffs.

Ricardo and Alberto take their leave of them too and Alberto shakes his head. "Your friends are much too liberal with the PDAs," he grouses and Ricardo laughs softly.

"They're your friends too."

"Debatable," he grumbles, resting a hand low on Ricardo's back under his coat once more and Ricardo shivers, leaning into him as they stand by the table covered in drinks and snacks- Wade's since taken his leave, following Heath around to speak to Zack and Dolph- and look out at the group of wrestlers clustered together, making the best of their insane schedules to spend at least this one evening together. "How late do you suppose we'll be leaving for this thing?" he wonders and Ricardo shrugs.

"Who knows. There's no rush, I guess." He looks up at Alberto and smiles. "Gracias for coming with me on such short notice, I know this isn't your favorite thing in the world to do."

Alberto turns his gaze back onto his former ring announcer's face and falters, coughing into his fist. "Eh, well, that isn't exactly true," he finally says. "I'm with you, and that _is _my favorite thing in the world to do."

Ricardo gapes up at him for a moment, flushing happily, before easing away from the warmth of his hand and turning Alberto to face him. "Ok, you, uh, know we kind of have to share in our own PDA after that, right?" he asks softly. "Like, there's absolutely no escaping it now, El Patron."

Alberto sighs and casts a quick glance out at the others before pressing his forehead to Ricardo's. "Si, I knew it," he mumbles, wrapping his arms around Ricardo as he cards his fingers through Alberto's hair, mussing it up slightly.

Ricardo exhales, eyes warm with happiness and affection. "I love you," he whispers against Alberto's lips.

"I love you too," Alberto responds with a grin, sighing when Ricardo finally kisses him, still so warm and perfect after all of these years. It's almost enough for him to forget the eight other wrestlers lingering around, possibly watching them. _Almost._

Ricardo pulls away when Zack starts calling out about getting ready to leave and laughs softly, wiping at Alberto's lips. "Happy Halloween, El Patron."

"Happy Halloween, mi valiente," Alberto breathes out, trailing after Ricardo as they join the others to figure out who's going in what car.


End file.
